I was strolling around campus, minding my own business, when I felt a vibration from one of my pockets. I quickly took my phone from my pocket, and the screen displayed Miyake's contact information. I had apparently received a call from him. To answer his call, I slid the green button with a white telephone silhouette up towards the screen.

"Ayanokouji, yo!" Miyake greeted. His voice was audible, but there was some background noise from his phone indicating that he was somewhere crowded.

"What's up, Miyake?" I inquired, intrigued.

It was the first time we'd called each other. We had only exchanged text messages the day before. This morning, he texted that he would wait for me in the dormitory lobby, but he quickly informed me that if he waited any longer, he would be late for class, so he stopped waiting for me and went to class.

"Sorry for calling all of a sudden. I was just wondering if you would like to go to the club fair with us?" Miyake asked.

"Us? Who is accompanying you?"

"It's just Yukimura and a new friend I'd like to introduce you to!"

"The club fair, eh?"

Miyake, you are a lifesaver. I assumed I'd have to go to the gym by myself. I could have asked Karuizawa and her batch of gyaru gals or Kushida and her friends to accompany me, but it would be awkward to join either of them because I had already declined their invitation. After all, I thought I could ask Horikita to accompany me. Regrettably, this did not occur...

"Ah! But, if you already have someone or a group you're going with, you can just refuse. Given your popularity, it's really not a big deal."

"You don't need to be concerned. I haven't been invited to the club fair by anyone else." I lied as I easily breathed.

"Eh? Really? That's quite surprising to be honest. I expected all the girls in our class, and even girls from other classes, to swarm around you and try to persuade you to come with them to the gym to attend the club fair. "Miyake said in a stunned tone, unable to hide his surprise.

They did, I mean, but he didn't need to know. Even I wasn't that oblivious to how popular I am with the fairer sex. Surprisingly, Mii-chan has also shown signs of being romanticly interested in me based on our interactions. But, unfortunately for her, I had never felt the feeling of being in love before, so I absolutely held no affection towards her at this point.

But who knows what the future holds. Maybe one day I'll fall head over heels for someone like Eichiiro did with his childhood friend he keeps mentioning. He hasn't realized his own feelings for her, however. And he refers to me as dense...

"Well, things don't always go as expected do they?"

"Yeah... So does that mean you'll accompany us to the club fair?"

"Well, there's no reason for me to say no. So, yeah, I'll see you all at the gym." I told him.

"That's fantastic! Oh, I hope you don't mind if we bring our new friend with us."

"I wouldn't mind meeting new people and making new connections, so yeah, I don't mind."

"Great! We'll meet near the gymnasium. I'm going to hang up now because the place is getting a little rowdy and crowded. Yukimura and I will be waiting for your arrival. See you later Ayanokouji!" Miyake said his goodbyes as he hung up the phone.

A new potential friend, eh? It wasn't something I was opposed to. Actually, I'd like to meet more people my age. Every one of my classmates I've interacted with so far has been a member of some sort of clique or social group, so getting to know more about my classmates individually would be beneficial.

I slid my phone back into my pocket and turned it off. I then increased my walking speed and proceeded to the gymnasium.

I could feel the glances from passers-by on my way there. Don't they have anything better to do than openly observe me in public? Someone like Koenji would certainly appreciate this kind of attention, but someone like me just honestly found the stares very uncomfortable and bothersome.

The stares I was getting were either from girls who looked at me as if I was their prey or from some boys who glared at me with complete jealousy and murderous purpose. So this is what Eichiiro meant when he talked about the plague for being popular.

"Excuse me! Sorry!" I heard a loud voice say from behind me. I turned my body 180 degrees, but then-

'

Someone had slammed into me hard, resulting in a collision that sent both of us to the floor. When I opened my eyes, there were papers on the floor. I'm guessing the papers belonged to the person who had collided with me.

When I looked up at the person in front of me, I recognized a familiar face. She was the purple-haired senpai Eichiiro and I saw her on our way to class the other day. Tachibana Akane of class 3-A, if I'm not mistaken. She held the position of secretary in the student council, so she must be well respected among her peers.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" While lowering her head, Tachibana-Senpai apologized profusely. She then attempted to pick up the papers she had just dropped on her own, but it appeared she was having some difficulty.

Well, since I want to make a good impression on her and to the people who were currently watching us, I'll lend a helping hand. I then began assisting her in picking up some of the papers that had fallen to the ground.

"Ah, you don't have to-"

"No, it's fine really. It was also partly my fault for getting in the way." I cut her off quickly and continued to assist her.

"Once again, I apologize for causing you so much trouble!" She apologized once more, this time more vehemently.

I took the papers, which appeared to be flyers containing information about the club fair. Isn't this something that should have been set up beforehand? Well, It's pointless to speculate on that.

I was about to return the papers to her after I finished collecting them from the floor, but if I left her alone, a similar incident might happen to her and another student.

"Ah! It's you!" Tachibana senpai was taken aback.

"Yes, it's me. Is there an issue?" I asked.

"No, it's far from that. Anyway, you can now hand over the papers to me." She requested.

"You know what, I'll just assist you in transporting them to the gymnasium. This is a large amount of paperwork for one person to carry." I offered to help.

"N-no! You can't! I've already caused enough trouble for you. You don't have to go to such lengths to be nice to me." She attempted to refuse.

"No, it's perfectly fine. You haven't caused any major problems for me. Furthermore, if you force yourself to carry that much paperwork, something similar may happen to you and another student."

"If you say so," She surrendered. I then started walking at her pace, and we made our way to the gymnasium.

When we got close to the entrance, there was a fair-skinned man with black hair swept to the right and gradient brown eyes standing near the gymnasium's doors with his arms crossed. He appears to have been anticipating Tachibana-Senpai's arrival.

When he saw us, he waved but then looked a bit perplexed, probably wondering why I was walking alongside Tachibana-Senpai, who was supposed to be her carrying the paperwork.

"We've been waiting for you for a long time, Tachibana-Senpai! What was your excuse for being late?" The question was raised by the gentleman.

I can tell he's a second-year based on how he addresses Tachibana-Senpai and how familiar his tone is when speaking to him.

"Kiriyama-Kun, my apologies. I got myself into some trouble, and this Kouhai was forced to assist me as a result of my error. Anyway, please accept my apologies for my tardiness." Her apologies were reiterated.

So, his name is Kiriyama. He's most likely a member of the student council, as it's usually their job to organize events like this.

He simply sighed before responding, "Tachibana-Senpai, please lift your head. You don't need to apologize so much. I suppose everyone, including you, makes mistakes."

I could tell they were in a hurry, and I didn't want to annoy them by being there. And besides, Miyake and his friends were currently already waiting for me.

"Well, I guess I'd better get going..."

I was about to walk away when I felt a hand on my right shoulder. I turned around to see who had abruptly stopped me, and it was Kiriyama-Senpai himself.

"I'd like to thank you for helping Tachibana-Senpai. I don't know what would have happened if she had arrived any later." He expressed his gratitude.

"You are most welcome," I said. I assumed that was the end of our conversation, but it appears that he had more to say to me.

"Kouhai, what is your name?" He asked me a question.

"My name is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, and I'm a student in Class 1-D. It's a pleasure to meet you senpai." As a show of sincerity, I bowed slightly.

"So you're the one who aced the entrance exam, huh?"

"Umm..."

"Ah, where are my manners? My name is Kiriyama Ikuto, and I am a student of Class 2-B. I am a student council member and Class 2-B's representative. It's also a pleasure to meet you Ayanokouji. let's get along from now on." I simply shook back his hand as he extended his hand for a handshake.

"I wish we had had more time to talk, but as you can see, we are both extremely busy. I'll see you around Ayanokouji." Kiriyama-Senpai said before walking away. Tachibana-Senpai bowed once more in my direction before finally bidding farewell.

Before going into the gymnasium, I double-checked the time. It's now 4:57 PM, just three minutes before the start of the club fair. I guess I should get going now. I don't want to keep Miyake, Yukimura, and their companion waiting for too long.

I took a step forward and entered the gymnasium. There appeared to be a larger turnout than I had anticipated. Almost all of the students in attendance were freshmen. A crowd of about a hundred people was gathered.

I stood near the back of the room and texted Miyake to let him know where I was so his group of friends could find me. While waiting, I read the pamphlet that students were given upon entering the gymnasium. The pamphlet provided in-depth information about club activities.

"There you are Ayanokouji!" A voice called my name. I slid my phone into one of my pockets. I turned around to see Miyake, Yukimura, and a blue-haired girl behind them.

"Yo," I said with a slight raise of my palm.

"We've been looking for you everywhere man, we thought you might've been kidnapped by another group of girls or something." Miyake made a sarcastic remark.

"I'm sure I would have if you had come here any later." I attempted to respond to his joke.

"Anyways, we should all get going now. The club fair should begin shortly." Yukimura alerted us.

"Oi! Miyatchi! Yukimu! Are you sure you're not going to introduce me to him? How rude of both of you." With a playful pout on her face, the girl exclaimed.

Miyatchi? Yukimu? To whom was she referring?

"Ah, sorry I forgot to introduce you to Ayanokouji," Miyake mused, scratching his chin. She then took quick, lighted steps towards me and stared at me, our faces very close to each other.

Was she trying to observe me? Perhaps trying to trigger a reaction from me? It's a good thing my signature poker face comes in handy in situations like these. Not that I was bothered by our faces almost touching in the first place.

"Ano...?"

"Hmm... You don't seem to change your expression much, do you? Even though you were close to a girl with a pretty face like mine, you maintained your poker face. As one would expect from the poker-faced genius!" She yelled, mocking me.

Poker-faced genius? Was that the moniker given to me? That nickname was, I suppose, was quite accurate.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're Hasebe Haruka, correct?"

"DING DING DING! Correct!" She smiled smugly and stroke a pose. "I'm surprised someone like the great Ayanokouji remembers my name." She remarked while puffing up her chest proudly.

"Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you, Hasebe. I'm hoping we'll get along better from now on."

"Yup! Ayanon, I hope we get along as well!"

Ayanon? What's the deal with people I've just met giving me nicknames? Initially, it was Koenji, then Hashimoto, and now Hasebe? Is it a popular trend to nickname people you've just met? Well, I shouldn't get worked up over something so insignificant anyway.

"I'm curious if there are any well-known clubs at this school. Maybe a soccer team, for example." Hasebe pondered her thoughts.

"Every club appears to function at a high level, as expected." Miyake began to inspect the fairgrounds around us.

Naturally, this school could not be a top-tier institution in every sport. That much is obvious to me.

"Everything here is luxurious, from the equipment to the facilities. It truly outperforms professional equipment." Yukimura added his thoughts.

"In any case, are any of you planning to join a club?" I inquired.

"So far, only Miyatchi is planning to join a club. And it's something as old-fashioned and simple as archery." Hasebe made a lighthearted remark.

"Hey! It may be old-fashioned, but it's still a very enjoyable sport!" Miyake retorted.

"Yeah, yeah whatever grandpa."

"Pft," Yukimura tried to suppress his laughter.

"Oi Yukimura! Don't tell me you're actually agreeing with her!"

"...No comment." Yukimura tried to sound convincing but it was painfully obvious that he did.

"Ayanokouji, you don't actually agree with her right?" Miyake questioned me.

"Personally, I've never tried archery, but I might give it a shot someday. It does have a certain allure to it." I offered my thoughts.

"Hasebe, you see that? Even Ayanokouji agrees with me!" Miyake burst out laughing.

"Ehh~? That's just not right! I assumed you were on my side, Ayanon!"

"Bad day for you I guess," I joked.

The rest of us then shared a laugh together. Well, except me for obvious reasons. We were about to resume our chit-chat when a familiar voice rang out throughout the gymnasium.

"First-year students, we appreciate your patience. The club fair will now begin. Each club's function will be explained by a representative from that club. My name is Tachibana, and I am the secretary of the student council as well as the organizer of the club fair. It's a pleasure to finally meet all of you." Tachibana-Senpai announced.

Representatives from each club rushed to form a line on a stage. It was a diverse group of people. The club representative ranged from burly athletes in judo uniforms to students dressed in beautiful kimonos.

The representative of the archery club was currently speaking on stage, but I paid no attention. I took a look around the gymnasium to see who was there for the club fair. There was Hirata and his harem with Eichiiro, Ike with Sudo and Yamauchi, and, surprisingly, I saw Horikita alone standing among the crowd.

That was definitely intriguing. I didn't think of her as someone who wanted to join a club. Then again, she could be like me, checking out the clubs but having no desire to join any of them.

Suddenly, Horikita's expression changed unexpectedly, much to my surprise. She had the same look on her face now as she had on the rooftop when Chabashira-Sensei mentioned her brother, Horikita Manabu. I averted my gaze away from her and turned to face the stage, where the man himself was standing there in front of the microphone.

He cast a piercing and calculating look at the audience. He scanned the venue calmly, focusing on the first-year students. To everyone's surprise, he did not immediately begin talking.

The audience then began to raise their voices. Some even began mocking him. But, the man himself was unfazed by the laughter of the audience. The laughter then stopped as the tense atmosphere was now clear to the crowd.

He kept staring at the audience with an apathetic expression resembling a similar expression that man always held. But, in comparison to that man's gaze, his attempt to intimidate me was pale.

After thirty seconds or so, he finally began to speak.

"My name is Horikita Manabu. I am the officially recognized student council president of Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School." He formally introduced himself.

"The student council is looking for potential candidates among first-year students to replace graduating third-year students. Although there are no special requirements needed for candidacy, we humbly request that those considering applications refrain from participating in other club activities. We generally do not accept students who are involved in other activities." His voice was gentle, but the atmosphere he created was oppressive. The entire gymnasium was subdued by constant silence.

"Furthermore, we the student council do not wish to appoint anyone with a naive outlook. Not only would such a person not be elected, but he or she would also taint the sanctity of this school. The student council has the authority and responsibility to enforce and modify the rules, but the school expects more. Those of you who recognize this are warmly welcomed." He continued.

Horikita Manabu had delivered an impassioned speech. He didn't pause or stutter as he finished his piece. One can certainly get the distinct impression that he is at the pinnacle of this school.

His speech does raise a question for me. Should I apply for a position on the student council? Although it would take some of my free time, joining it would not be without benefits. I should give this some serious thought first.

"Thank you very much for your attendance. The club fair has now come to an end. Anyone interested in signing up can now come to the reception area. Additionally, registration will be open until the end of April, so if any student wishes to join at a later date, we ask that you bring the application form directly to the club you wish to join." The tension in the air was immediately dissipated thanks to Tachibana-Senpai's relaxed tone.

Before leaving the stage, I noticed he had given me a sidelong glance while muttering something under his breath. I returned his gaze, and we had exchanged eye contact with each other. He then paused for a few seconds, and we engaged in an intense staring contest that only we were aware of. He eventually averted his gaze and quietly exited the stage.

"Man... That sure was intense huh?" Hasebe commented breaking the awkward silence between us.

"Yeah, the student council president sure is intimidating," Miyake added.

"Well, it is to be expected. After all, He is the student council president of the most prestigious school in Japan." Yukimura remarked on it.

"Though, Ayanokouji didn't seem intimidated by his presence at all," Miyake observed.